


all wet

by Satine86



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Post-Canon, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 08:39:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15336066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satine86/pseuds/Satine86
Summary: Anne wondered if there would ever a come a time in Phillip’s life where his first instinct wasn’t to run directly toward trouble.





	all wet

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was: “You may be an idiot, but you’re my idiot.”
> 
> This is just silliness.

The country market downtown was packed full of people, all jostling and haggling and packing their baskets full of the array of fresh summer goods. Anne picked her way around people, searching for the things she needed while Phillip dutifully trailed slightly behind her, their own shopping basket in hand. 

Anne happily paid the vendor for a parcel of fresh berries, and was already figuring out where she could buy some fresh cream as she placed them in the basket. That was when she noticed Phillip’s attention was elsewhere, eyes idly scanning the vendors and stalls, but not really seeing anything.

“You’re bored,” she said. 

His gaze snapped to hers and he shook his head. “I’m not.” 

It was hardly convincing, and Anne narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re sure you wouldn’t rather be home doing paperwork?” 

Phillip laughed at that. “I’m perfectly content here. My mind just wandered.” He flashed her reassuring smile, and Anne decided to believe him.  

“Fine. Come on, I want to get some cream for these berries.” She turned around and took a step before a young man collided with her. He didn’t even stop to apologize, just steadied her briefly before continuing on. 

Phillip called after him, but he ignored it and pushed through the crowd. Anne placed a hand on Phillip’s arm. 

“I’m fine, it was just an accident.” Absently her hand went to smooth back a few curls from her face, tried to tuck them back into her bun. She was surprised to find her hair bare save the pins keeping it in place, the comb she had tucked there that morning was gone. It wasn’t overly extravagant, but had been a gift from Charity and the girls on her last birthday and she had loved it dearly. 

“Phillip? I think he stole my hair comb.” 

His eyes darted to her hair before locking with hers. It was only a split second, but she could see as he made the decision. He barely took the time to shove their basket into her hands before taking off after the thief. 

Anne rushed after them, wondering if there would ever a come a time in Phillip’s life where his first instinct wasn’t to run directly _ toward  _ trouble. Both men had a good head start on her, but she managed to break through the throngs of people just in time to see Phillip careen down what looked to be an alleyway at the end of the street. 

Careful of her skirts and the basket looped over her arm, Anne only slowed down long enough to retrieve Phillip’s fallen hat before hurrying along to the mouth of the alley. 

As she skidded around the corner, Anne found the alley empty save Phillip standing in a puddle and looking rather like a drowned rat. He turned at the sound, face dripping with water and hair plastered to his forehead. He sighed when he realized it was Anne. 

“The good news,” he said and lifted up one hand. “He dropped your comb.”

“And the bad news?” Anne asked, pressing a finger to her lips to keep from laughing.

“Everything else.” He pointed up toward a window. Judging by the clothesline cinched between the two buildings on either side of them, Anne had a good guess as to what had happened. Walking forward, she sat down her basket and used the edge of her sleeve to wipe his face. 

“I think you’re in luck today that it’s only dirty laundry water that was tossed out.” She continued to dab at his face and tried not to laugh while he silently stewed. “You know,” she said after a while. “If you didn’t feel the need to literally run headlong into things before stopping to think, you might actually be able to avoid situations like this.” 

“Granted, my method may be flawed, but I do feel the results speak for themselves.” He opened his palm to display her hair comb. 

“Thank you for saving my comb.” Anne took it from his hand, dried it on her skirts before tucking it into her pocket. She frowned slightly. “Wait, are there other results?” 

Phillip lifted his eyebrows and gestured pointedly between them. Anne left her mouth drop open, shook her head in mild shock.

“We are not a result of your stupidity!” 

“All I know is that I ran into a burning building, perhaps foolishly so, with little more than a broke heart.” He slapped a hand to his chest, and sighed rather dramatically. At this point she knew he was teasing her, but that didn’t make it any better. “When I came out on the other side, you kissed me. I would call that a positive result.” 

Anne covered her face with both hands, and suppressed an urge to groan in exasperation. When she looked at him again, he seemed thoroughly pleased with his line of reasoning. The realization that despite the teasing nature, he was being entirely serious did quite a bit to soften her mood. It also did quite a bit to endear him to her even more, which she hadn’t thought was possible. 

“You are an idiot,” she said and gently framed his face. “But you are my idiot.”

He grinned at her. “I’ll take it.” 

“Now come on, let’s get you home and into some dry clothes.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “And maybe a bath.” 

Phillip took a step, foot squelching inside his shoe. “Definitely a bath.” 

 


End file.
